Conversations with My Bridal Veil Houseplant
by Isabelle Hutchinson
Ohio Northern University
Isabelle Hutchinson is a senior at Ohio Northern University where she studies Creative Writing and Professional Writing. She is the Poetry Editor for Polaris, ONU’s undergraduate literary magazine and a member of Sigma Tau Delta. Her work has appeared in Polaris, Green Blotter and The Oakland Arts Review. When she isn’t writing or contemplating life’s many mysteries, she is probably spending time with her two cats. She is originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana. Instagram: call.me.petroglyph.
Conversations with My Bridal Veil Houseplant
When the sun is a shipwreck in the sky,
and I’m alone again,
I speak to you.
Each tiny leaf, veins lining arrowheads;
the amethyst underbelly.
Here and there,
a shriveled stem;
a life unlived.
Unashamed, you litter your sorrows
and you refuse to flower.
I thought I might help,
so, I pull the lifeless parts from you.
Soon, there’s not much left.
So, I ask you what is best:
to cut you down to almost nothing,
or to let nature run its course?
And you say, “snip away.”
As I do, I dream of when you’ll once again
feel like hair in my hands,
coils and curls,
cascading.
And as the sun
makes its daily voyages
from the moon’s
harbor to mine,
you like a mother and a mentor,
tell me secrets,
like it is okay
to crave shade, to crave sun,
to drink ravenously of life,
to grow, to wilt, to wither
and to be reborn.
Interview with the Poet
1. What was your inspiration for this piece?
When I wrote this, my bridal veil plant had almost died so I had to cut it down so that it could regrow healthier. This process made me think a lot about growth and healing. Growth doesn't tend to be linear, but rather it is a fluid and living process, similar to plants' growing process. Two years later, my plant is much healthier and happier. To me, this poem is about the resiliency of living things.
2. What is your creative process? (How do you go about writing or creating?)
The first idea for my poems often comes from a moment in time, or an image I see in the world. From that moment or image, I think about what it might mean and build from that metaphor. During revisions, I always read my poem aloud and hear if it sounds right, and revise the parts that don't flow or sound pretty read aloud. Poetry is a lot about sound, so this is a very important step in my process.
3. What are some influences on your artistic process?
My biggest influence are my five senses. What I see, what I hear, and how I react to that. "What does this mean?" is a question I often ask myself. I also am inspired by poets such as Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Charles Simic, Donika Kelly, Sylvia Plath and many others.